CCTV at jewellers captures raiders breaking window with a sledgehammer

CCTV at jewellers captures raiders breaking window with a sledgehammer

CCTV at jewellers captures raiders breaking window with a sledgehammer

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CCTV pictures of motorbike gang outside Mappin & Webb

Raid: Motorbike gang caught on camera outside Mappin & Webb

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CCTV pictures of motorbike gang smashing window

Watch this: the raiders swing a sledgehammer at the Rolex display smashing the glass

Raid: Motorbike gang caught on camera outside Mappin & Webb

Police today released images of the smash and grab raid at Mappin & Webb jewellers taken by CCTV cameras inside the West End store.

Detectives appealed for help in identifying the five robbers saying someone could recognise their clothing or the three high-powered motorbikes they were riding.

The images show a sledgehammer being held across a motorbike before a pillion passenger leaps off and begins hitting a window of the Old Bond Street store. The raiders are then seen smashing through the toughened security glass shortly after 11.15am yesterday.

One witness said the vibrations from the blows felt like an earthquake.

Shoppers watched in astonishment as the gang spent several minutes smashing through the glass before fleeing with about £100,000 worth of Rolex watches.

Detective Inspector Sean Oxley, of the Westminster Crime Squad, said today: "These images show just how frightening this must have been for the people inside the shop. The offence was committed in broad daylight and in the heart of the West End. I want to hear from anyone who may have seen these people earlier in the day who may be able to recognise them from the clothes they were wearing or may have seen these bikes."

Scotland Yard also responded to claims that officers did not turn up at the store for 25 minutes after the alarm was raised. A spokeswoman said police received a call from a member of the public about a robbery at the store at 11.17am. A minute later a PCSO spotted the bikes speeding down Pall Mall and gave chase on foot.

At 11.20am details of the bikes were despatched over the radio and at 11.21 officers in a response car took up the chase in Duke Street near Oxford Street. A police helicopter also helped in the pursuit before the response car lost sight of the bikes after about half a mile.